Web parts in SharePoint have allowed users of all experience levels to add powerful and customizable functionality to their pages. Modern web parts are designed to be even easier to use, mobile-ready, and great looking.
Many modern web parts fulfill the same purposes as classic web parts, but you will see differences in appearance and functionality.
It's important to note that modern pages can only use modern web parts and classic pages can only use classic web parts. The exceptions are custom web parts that are specifically designed to be used on modern pages. For developers, the SharePoint Framework allows for the building of custom modern web parts that show up right in the web part toolbox. Developers can also find guidance and tools at Modernize your classic SharePoint sites.
It is important to note that, for security reasons, modern web parts do not allow for the insertion of code like JScript.
Comparing modern and classic web parts
There is not a 1:1 mapping of classic to modern web parts, but there are web parts that have similar purposes. Here is a look at some commonly-used web parts based on their purposes, and some of the differences in modern web parts.
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Purpose |
Classic |
Modern |
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Add text and other content |
Content editor web part, Add text and other content directly to a Wiki page |
The Text web part allows you to easily add and format text and tables on a page. It has a formatting toolbar where you can format text, change styles, and more. Unlike the content editor web part, though, you cannot edit HTML within the web part. Nested tables are not yet supported. Wiki syntax, like that used to create links from and to pages, is not supported on pages or in the Text web part, but it is easy to create links within the Text web part. It is not yet possible to add images inline within the Text web part, but you can add images alongside the text web part by using the Image web part. |
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Show a document library |
When you create a library on a classic site, a library web part is automatically created, and you can choose to show it on a page. When you use the modern document library web part, you can choose a library to show, and show a specific view of the library or even a folder within the library. Users with appropriate permissions can add, view or edit files directly from the web part. Users can also pin a document to the top of the library, download, delete and rename files. Additionally, files can be shown in a details view or tiles view, and column formatting and nested folders created in the source list are shown. |
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Show a list |
When you create a list on a classic site, a list web part is automatically created for that list, and you can choose to show it on a page. The modern list web part allows you to choose a list, and customize it with your own title, view, and even size. Users can view, filter, sort, and group the list. Additionally, formatted columns and nested groups created in the source list are shown in the web part. |
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Show a file |
The modern File viewer web part allows you to embed more than 270+ file types including not only familiar Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files, but also advanced file types such as 3D models and medical images. : In SharePoint 2019, file types that can be inserted are limited to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint (specifically .doc, .docx,. xls, .xlsx, .pot, .potx, .ppt and .pptx). The Embed web part allows you display content on your page from sites that allow embedding (like YouTube, for example). Depending on the website, you can either use the site's web address or embed code that the site provides. |
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Add contacts |
Contact details web part |
The classic Contact details web part allows you to manually add one contact at a time. The modern People web part allows you to add multiple contacts from user profiles along with visual and organizational information. Appearance of contact details can be changed from compact to descriptive, meaning more details about a contact can be shown right on the page. |
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Add images |
The Image web part adds additional sources for the image: recent, web search, and OneDrive. The image sizing can be modified to standard and custom ratios. The Image gallery web part allows you to add images in a tile or carousel layout. While in carousel layout images can be set to familiar ratio sizes. Smaller images will be sized up to fill ratio, but larger images will not be resized. The Hero web part can be set to display up to 5 elements in a tile or layer arrangements, bringing focus to individual elements as needed. Individual elements can have titles, specific images, and alternative text. You can also arrange elements as needed. Use the File viewer for showing 3D models. This is especially useful for medical models. |
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Show videos on a page |
The File viewer web part allows you to show local videos from your SharePoint site (like .MOV, .MP4, and .WMV). With the Embed web part, you can display videos (or other content) on your page from sites that allow embedding (like YouTube, for example). Depending on the website from which you are embedding, you can either use the site's web address or embed code that the site provides. SharePoint in Microsoft 365 only. The Stream video web part plays videos from the Microsoft Stream service as either a multiple video format called a channel or as a single video. It adds up-to-date social and advanced playback settings such as liking, changing replay speed, watching with generated subtitles (English and Spanish only), and creating playlists. No additional browser plugins are required. Video specific metadata and permissions are set within the Microsoft Stream service. The YouTube web part allows you to embed YouTube videos right on your page, including the ability to set start time and display player controls. |
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Show dates and times of upcoming meetings and events |
The Events web part displays events in a customizable date-range card or filmstrip format. Expanded event data can also have event pictures, Bing maps and meeting data. You can download meetings with .ICS format, but the Events web part cannot connect or read from an Exchange calendar service. The Events web part uses the same list as the Calendar web part, but customized columns are not displayed in the Events web part. The Group calendar web part uses the Microsoft 365 group calendar app for event storage. New group events cannot be added with the Group calendar web part. Events are displayed in list format to maximize each event's expanded details. You can specify the number of shown events on each page and scroll pages. SharePoint in Microsoft 365 only. |
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Show links to other content |
Promoted links,Links,Content editor web part,Announcements,Summary Link |
The Quick links web part can be set to display as a carousel format called filmstrip or smaller compact format. Each of the links in the compact format can be arranged and displayed with or without images. It is not possible yet to populate Quick links based on a list. The Link web part shows one complete URL link, and adds the ability to show or hide a preview pane with the link target. SharePoint in Microsoft 365 only. In the Text web part, you can add links within your content using the toolbar. |
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Search for and display content |
With the Highlighted content web part, many of the advanced and confusing search/query options have been replaced with streamlined query options. However, unlike its classic counterparts, you can't use custom display templates. |
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Announce news to your team |
The classic Announcements web part uses a list to show announcements on your page. The News web part is a broad content distribution system that uses rich, formatted pages or links to news, and rolls up news posts on SharePoint home page, sites, and hub sites. The web part can be customized to display results in a number of different ways. This provides a richer and more dynamic experience over the static announcements list. |
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Track projects |
Tasklist |
The modern Planner web part works with Microsoft 365 groups and the Microsoft 365 Planner service. Plans are stored in the Microsoft 365 Planner service allowing for greater customization. The default timeline is removed for more flexible viewing options that include a read-only overview dashboard called a board or a Kanban layout called bucket. Using the bucket layout allows for grouping by buckets, assigned to, progress, due date, and labels categories. In addition the Bucket layout allows for directly adding and modifying tasks within a plan that is stored in the Microsoft 365 Planner service. This web part is available on a SharePoint in Microsoft 365 Group Connected Site only. |
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Show sites and links on a page |
Site aggregator |
The classic Site aggregator web part focused on a visually simplified view of sites. With the Sites web part, the long list of files is replaced by information cards displaying last viewed, last modified, and most popular files. Sites can be displayed as cards or in a filmstrip layout using a carousel mechanism to scroll through selected sites. SharePoint in Microsoft 365 only. |
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Show conversations on your page |
Site feed |
There are two Yammer web parts available:
As Yammer has replaced the SharePoint Newsfeed feature, the modern Yammer web parts replace the classic Site feed web part. |
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Show content from another page |
Both the Page viewer web part and the Embed web part allow you to display content from other sites that allow embedding. The embed code must be iframe-based, and code that uses <script> tags is not supported. Additionally, only secure web sites can be embedded. |
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Collect and display data from forms |
With PowerApps, you can build powerful forms to collect, store, and display data without using code. You can also use PowerApps to customize a form for a SharePoint list.SharePoint in Microsoft 365 only. With the Microsoft Forms web part, you can add a form or form results to your page. You can also view summary results in charts right on the page. SharePoint in Microsoft 365 only. |
